About David

I work at ProPublica, a non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. I became their first design director in May of 2014, and am building a design practice to support and extend their award-winning reporting.

I have been a Pulitzer finalist and the recipient of a Communication Award from the National Academies, as well as directed editorial projects recognized by American Illustration, American Photography, and the Society of Illustrators.

Previously I was an independent consultant, working with the likes of Birchbox, Bond Art + Science, Juju, Nomad Editions, Novartis, Readability, Signpost, Thomson Reuters, and Qualcomm. Before that, I led the interactive design team at BusinessWeek, and helped build some of the first web-based textbooks at Pearson Education. I’ve also been a staff columnist for A List Apart magazine and a member of Readability’s Board of Advisors.

When I’m not pushing pixels or punching code, I can usually be found fiddling with cameras or exploring the wilds of New York (both urban and rural varieties). Oh, and it’s pronounced “slate.”

videoPoynter Mobile News Summit: Building Mobile TeamsPanel discussion at Columbia Journalism School with myself, BuzzFeed’s Stacy-Marie Ishmael, and McClatchy’s Damon Kiewsow about building mobile-savvy teams that work across editorial and technical roles in the newsroom.

articleA List Apart: Stand and DeliverOne of the greatest challenges any designer faces is articulating the intuitive. Some thoughts on clearly explaining the hows and whys of the craft to clients and co-workers, preparing for meetings, and presenting well.